Reform UK has unveiled a dramatic new immigration plan, promising what it calls “the largest military operation in the Channel since World War II” if it wins power a pledge immediately dismissed by experts and rival parties as unrealistic and inflammatory.
The hard‑right party’s proposal arrives just days after tens of thousands of migrants surged into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco, a mass arrival that reignited Europe’s long‑running debate over irregular migration. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage argued that the Ceuta incident underscores the urgency of Britain’s own border challenges.
“What happened in Ceuta over the weekend shows you just how serious this situation is,” Farage said as he presented the policy in a 28‑page document. The plan includes deploying the Royal Navy to push back small boats and return them to France an idea briefly floated and abandoned by the Conservative government in 2020.
“What happened in Ceuta over the weekend shows you just how serious this situation is,” Farage said as he presented the policy in a 28‑page document. The plan includes deploying the Royal Navy to push back small boats and return them to France an idea briefly floated and abandoned by the Conservative government in 2020.
To implement the strategy, Reform would need to win the next general election, scheduled for 2029. The party, which dominated national polls for more than a year, has seen its support slide in recent weeks amid a string of scandals and investigations into its finances.
On Monday, parliament’s standards commissioner confirmed a new probe into deputy leader Richard Tice over an alleged failure to declare a financial interest. Farage himself is already under investigation for a separate alleged breach of parliamentary rules — a case now paused after he resigned as an MP to trigger a by‑election he is contesting next week.
Meanwhile, London police have acknowledged an ongoing investigation into donations made to Reform UK ahead of the 2024 general election, following a referral from the Electoral Commission watchdog.
As Reform attempts to regain political momentum, its bold Channel operation proposal has added fresh controversy to a party already under intense scrutiny.
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